Disney Rich Ross out, Marvel's Feige May Be In

Rich Ross out as Walt Disney Studios topper Marvel head Kevin Feige considered a top replacement choice

By MARC GRASER

Rich Ross resigned as chairman of Walt Disney Studios Friday marking a surprise exit wedged between the company's staggering $200 million writedown from "John Carter" and the inevitable box office and ancillary coin from Marvel's "The Avengers."

The exec alerted staffers in an email Friday morning of his decision to step down, saying: "The best people need to be in the right jobs, in roles they are passionate about, doing work that leverages the full range of their abilities. It's one of the leadership lessons I've learned during my career, and it's something I've been giving a great deal of thought to as I look at the challenges and opportunities ahead."

Word of Ross' possible departure started spreading late Thursday after the exec began canceling several high-profile meetings, sources told Variety. The former head of Disney Channels Worldwide, Ross was upped to head the film studio by Walt Disney Company chairman and CEO Bob Iger in October 2009.

Already, Marvel Studios topper Kevin Feige is considered to be at the top of lists for job, given his experience in launching new franchises that perform at the box office -- "Iron Man," "Thor," "Captain America: The First Avenger" -- and spin off sequels, TV shows, videogames, toys and other consumer products, while keeping a close eye on overhead and production costs through long-term deals with actors and tax breaks. All are attributes that fit Disney's mandate from Iger.

Other candidates include DreamWorks co-prexy and CEO Stacey Snider and producer Joe Roth, who once ran Walt Disney Studios from 1994-2000 and is behind billion-dollar blockbuster "Alice in Wonderland," and the upcoming "Oz: The Great and Powerful" and "Maleficent," starring Angelina Jolie. Disney production prexy Sean Bailey could also be in the mix, as could "Battleship"-producer Scott Stuber, who has a first-look deal at Universal (which he once ran with Mary Parent, who's also considered a possibility).

For now, Bailey and studio present Alan Bergman will oversee the film's slate, which is set for the year and is coming together for 2013.

Though "John Carter" was greenlit by the Dick Cook regime and championed by John Lasseter and other top Pixar Animation Studios brass, Ross is still taking much of the blame for the film's poor performance at the box office. Film has earned just $269 million worldwide since its release March 9, and $69 million domestically, forcing the studio to take a $200 million writedown before its second quarter earnings are released May 8.

Such a high-profile failure comes at a time when risk-averse parent companies are scrutinizing shrinking slates -- Disney's own internal wrangling over the budget of next year's "The Lone Ranger" is a prime example -- and demonstrating minimal tolerance for misses in the search for franchise hits. That's put pressure on studio heads to perform more than ever, focusing less on the creative elements of moviemaking and more on the bottomline.

Ross is also smarting from the experimental hiring of Hollywood outsider MT Carney as the studio's marketing chief in 2010. After a long search, Ross tapped Carney from Madison Avenue, where she ran the New York arm of ad shop Naked Communications; but Carney's inexperience in marketing tentpole movies was quickly exposed, forcing Ross to replace her in January with Participant Media president Ricky Strauss.

When films fail at the box office, the marketing chief is usually the first to take the blame -- and to get the boot. But the studio chief is always second. Bailey, another Ross hire, will continue as the studio's president of production.

Disney did enjoy some hits under Ross.

The first film he officially greenlit, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," sailed past $1 billion worldwide; "Tangled" surprised many when it was able to attract a broader audience to the female-skewing Rapunzel tale, which earned $591 million globally; and "Cars 2" revved up more than $500 million. "The Muppets" also was relaunched under Ross, with a sequel now in the works.

But there were also flops, most notably "John Carter," "Prom" and "Mars Needs Moms," which led to the shuttering of Robert Zemeckis' production studio ImageMovers Digital.

Upcoming tentpoles greenlit by Ross include Sam Raimi's "Oz: The Great and Powerful," Jerry Bruckheimer's "The Lone Ranger" and "Maleficent."

Marvel's "The Avengers," the first film Disney is releasing since buying the comicbook publisher in 2009 for $4 billion, bows to what's being predicted as a $150 million domestic opening weekend on May 4. Ross is departing the studio before he can benefit from the film's expected heroic haul.

"I no longer believe the Chairman role is the right professional fit for me," Ross said in his written statement. "For that reason, I have made the very difficult decision to step down as Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, effective today."

Given Ross' track record at Disney Channels, which launched franchises like "High School Musical" and "Hannah Montana," during his tenure, Iger felt the exec could transfer his abilities in launching hits under a tighter budget that could benefit the rest of the conglom's divisions, from TV, homevid, online, games, theme park attractions and merchandise. When Iger hired Ross, the Disney chief was openly disappointed by the studio's performance, and wanted to reduce the risk of making movies whose commercial prospects seemed like a gamble.

As a result, Disney is producing fewer films that focus on the Disney family brand, while it relies on Marvel, Pixar and DreamWorks to supply the rest of the studio's slate.

"For more than a decade, Rich Ross's creative instincts, business acumen and personal integrity have driven results in key businesses for Disney, redefining success in kids and family entertainment and launching franchises that generate value across our entire company," Iger said. "I appreciate his countless contributions throughout his entire career at Disney."

Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Apologist Puncher wrote:Similar to what happened at the Bros. Warner when Singerman flopped.

Alan "BJ Routh Fan" Horn out, Jeff "Singerman Stunk" Robinov in.

thecolorsblend wrote:

Apologist Puncher wrote:Similar to what happened at the Bros. Warner when Singerman flopped.

Alan "BJ Routh Fan" Horn out, Jeff "Singerman Stunk" Robinov in.

Apparently we should all be crying that Alan Horn lost his job. Remember the guy who bitched about that around here for a while? What a hoser...

Apologist Puncher wrote:

thecolorsblend wrote:

Apologist Puncher wrote:Similar to what happened at the Bros. Warner when Singerman flopped.

Alan "BJ Routh Fan" Horn out, Jeff "Singerman Stunk" Robinov in.

Apparently we should all be crying that Alan Horn lost his job. Remember the guy who bitched about that around here for a while? What a hoser...

Oh yes. He followed me to e-mail after a while.

Gave up THERE, too.

non_amos wrote:Yeah, I remember him. Whatever happened to him anyway? AP, he clearly had it in for you & even acted like he had your number, so to speak. He even denied being 'Steve' & anyone else that we guessed.

non_amos wrote:Yeah, I remember him. Whatever happened to him anyway? AP, he clearly had it in for you & even acted like he had your number, so to speak. He even denied being 'Steve' & anyone else that we guessed.

thecolorsblend wrote:My beef with that argument is that championing a Superman reboot is championing a Superman reboot. It was never anything personal, none of us ever wanted Alan Horn to lose his job but (A) I think he'll land on his feet (B) even if he doesn't, he's been paid millions over the years and it's not like he wouldn't have gotten some type of severance and (C) it's out of our hands either way. Other people make that decision. As consumers, all we can do is tell WB we're dissatisfied with their product and let the chips fall where they may. It's all you can do.

thecolorsblend wrote:My beef with that argument is that championing a Superman reboot is championing a Superman reboot. It was never anything personal, none of us ever wanted Alan Horn to lose his job but (A) I think he'll land on his feet (B) even if he doesn't, he's been paid millions over the years and it's not like he wouldn't have gotten some type of severance and (C) it's out of our hands either way. Other people make that decision. As consumers, all we can do is tell WB we're dissatisfied with their product and let the chips fall where they may. It's all you can do.

Apologist Puncher wrote:That guys entire schtick didn't make a LICK of sense. He expected us to just say: "Excuse me, Mr. Warner, but I wanted to inform you that I did not care much for your film Superman Returns. Please do not make any further follow-ups, as I will not be in attendance. Thank You", and leave it at that. What would the reaction have been at WB to THAT?

Singerman Part Deux: Madame Of Swish. That's what.

Wanted: Disney topper, film experience a must
Disney looks outside studio to fill Ross role
By Marc Graser
Robert Iger will start interviewing candidates to replace Rich Ross as studio topper after returning from a trip to survey Disney’s China interests.

Robert Iger will start interviewing candidates to replace Rich Ross as studio topper after returning from a trip to survey Disney’s China interests.

Disney chief Robert Iger is expected to go outside the Mouse House to find the next chairman of Walt Disney Studios after Rich Ross resigned from the post on Friday, Variety has learned.

It will likely take weeks before a chairman is tapped, however.

Iger isn't expected to begin interviewing candidates until he returns from his trip to China, where he will check in this week on various Disney ventures in the country, including the company's theme park being built in Shanghai, and a new venture to help develop toons in the country with government-backed China Animation Group and web portal Tencent.

Those in the running are said to include former MGM chief Mary Parent, and "Battleship" producer Scott Stuber, with whom Parent served as vice chairman of worldwide production at Universal Pictures. Others include producer Joe Roth, whose "Alice in Wonderland" earned $1 billion and is behind next year's "Oz: the Great and Powerful," and "Maleficent," starring Angelina Jolie. Roth was chairman of Walt Disney Studios from 1994-2000 before launching Revolution Studios. He also was chairman of 20th Century Fox from 1989-1993.

That's become a turn-off for many, making Disney's top studio job a hard role to fill.

As one producer told Variety, "It's become a desk job that is less about being creative and more about the bottomline. It's high profile, yes, but it's not right for everyone, especially if you like making movies."

Although he wants to fill the role with an experienced film exec, sources close to the studio say Marvel Studios prexy Kevin Feige and DreamWorks co-chairman and CEO Stacey Snider are not on the shortlist for the job.

For now, studio president Alan Bergman and production prexy Sean Bailey will oversee the film division, where much of its upcoming release slate is set through 2014 (see chart on page 12).

Despite internal discussions that Bergman, who has been prexy since 2005, and Bailey, who was hired by Ross in 2010, would split the chairman role, that won't happen, sources said.

Ricky Strauss, who left as president of Participant Media to become Disney's marketing chief in January, replacing MT Carney, will likely remain in the role, given that he is close with Snider and helped launch one of the company's few recent hits, "The Help." Participant co-produced the pic that went on to earn more than $207 million.

Instead, Iger is looking off the lot for his new chairman, and wants to hire an executive with a strong knowledge of the film biz -- something Ross, who successfully ran Disney Channels Worldwide, where he launched hits like "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical," was criticized by many at Disney and around Hollywood for lacking.

While Ross' resignation follows the pricey misfire of "John Carter," that forced Disney to take a $200 million writedown, the pic's performance didn't force him out.

Ross struggled with the transition from TV to film and to deliver on Iger's mandate to make fewer films but instead make tentpoles that promote the Disney brand and spin off sequels, TV shows, videogames, toys and other consumer products, as well as theme park rides.

Many consider hiring Bailey to be Ross's best move since switching over to the studio in 2009. His other choices didn't go over well with the rest of the Disney ranks, however.

Those include shaking up the executive suites, ousting marketing chief Jim Gallagher for Carney, a controversial Madison Avenue hire who was replaced by Strauss earlier this year.

Ross also handed domestic distribution vet Chuck Viane international sales duties, while homevideo prexy Bob Chapek was upped to president of distribution before being moved over by Iger to run consumer products. Walt Disney Motion Pictures group president Mark Zoradi, who oversaw marketing, also was laid off, after a 29 year career at the Mouse House, causing a rift with many in the community.

What didn't help was Ross' difficulty in establishing close relationships with John Lasseter and his team at Pixar, DreamWorks' Steven Spielberg and Snider, and producers like Jerry Bruckheimer and Roth -- filmmakers that once had an open door with Ross' predecessor Dick Cook. Instead, he left those relationships up to Bailey to develop.

Bailey is still seen as too inexperienced for the chairman role. But he is considered filmmaker friendly, which has made him well-liked in Hollywood. He helped recruit Sam Raimi to helm "Oz: The Great and Powerful," Jon Favreau to direct "Magic Kingdom," Guillermo del Toro to reboot "The Haunted Mansion" and David Fincher to steer "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," while shepherding last year's bigscreen revival of "The Muppets," and greenlighting Roth's "Oz" and "Maleficent" after "Alice" became a hit. He was instrumental in working with Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski to pare down the budget for "The Lone Ranger" to a level that saved its greenlight after production was halted.

Bailey's also been key in driving Iger's mandate to make tentpoles that focus on the Disney brand, as the studio produces fewer films and relies heavily on Marvel, Pixar and DreamWorks to fill out the rest of its release slate.

In his letter to staffers alerting them of his resignation Friday, Ross said, "I no longer believe the chairman role is the right professional fit for me. The best people need to be in the right jobs, in roles they are passionate about, doing work that leverages the full range of their abilities. It's one of the leadership lessons I've learned during my career, and it's something I've been giving a great deal of thought to as I look at the challenges and opportunities ahead."

Though "John Carter" was greenlit by the Dick Cook regime and championed by Lasseter and other top Pixar Animation Studios brass, Ross is still taking much of the blame for the film's poor performance at the box office. The pic has earned just $269 million worldwide since its release March 9, and $69 million domestically, forcing the studio to take a $200 million writedown before its second quarter earnings are released May 8.

Such a high-profile failure comes at a time when risk-averse parent companies are scrutinizing shrinking slates -- Disney's own internal wrangling over the budget of next year's "The Lone Ranger" is a prime example -- and demonstrating minimal tolerance for misses in the search for franchise hits. That's put pressure on studio heads to perform more than ever, focusing less on the creative elements of moviemaking and more on the bottomline.

Disney did enjoy some hits under Ross, however.

The first film he officially greenlit, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," sailed past $1 billion worldwide; "Tangled" surprised many when it was able to attract a broader audience to the female-skewing Rapunzel tale, which earned $591 million globally; and "Cars 2" revved up more than $500 million. "The Muppets" also was relaunched under Ross, with a sequel now in the works.

But there were also flops, most notably "John Carter," "Prom" and "Mars Needs Moms," which led to the shuttering of Robert Zemeckis' production studio ImageMovers Digital.

Upcoming tentpoles greenlit by Ross include Sam Raimi's "Oz: The Great and Powerful," "The Lone Ranger," "Maleficent" and a "Phineas and Ferb" film, based on the Disney Channel hit.

Marvel's "The Avengers," the first film Disney is releasing since buying the comicbook publisher in 2009 for $4 billion, will bow on May 4 with what's being predicted to be a $150 million domestic opening weekend. Ross is departing the studio before he can benefit from the film's expected heroic haul.

While Feige has proven himself as president of Marvel Studios, launching the "Iron Man," "Thor" and "Captain America" franchises as well as other potential series, Iger wants the exec to stay at the comicbook giant and continue to deliver the kinds of films the Mouse House needs to grow a business that attracts boys to Disney's various divisions the way its princess and fairy lines have become a major source of revenue with young girls. Growing that side of the biz was at the center of Disney's decision to pony up the $4 billion to buy Marvel in 2009.

The Marvel Studios topper also is considered a key liaison between Disney and Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter, who was one of Ross' most vocal critics.

And Feige is considered a producer that would rather focus on building Marvel's brand of superheroes through tentpoles he can closely develop with filmmakers, rather than consult on from afar as he's distracted by other studio duties.

Since joining Marvel in 2000, Feige has overseen the company's other co-productions, including Sony's "Spider-Man" franchise, and Fox's "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four" films. Altogether, the company's comicbook pics have generated well over $5 billion at the box office.

As for Snider, it would be difficult for her to move to the Mouse House after DreamWorks secured additonal financing from Reliance Entertainment to produce up to 10 films over the next three years, keeping the shingle afloat.

The role of running a studio has become less attractive for Hollywood's top creatives over the years, with the conglomerates that own the majors demanding higher returns from their pics that benefit every division at a company.

With congloms focused on increasing profits, they've become more averse to taking risks that could produce a "John Carter" -- a pricey $250 million film that won't reap millions in additional coin from videogames, toys and other merchandise, not to mention a theme park ride at Disney's parks.

Mouse House looks ahead 2012 The Avengers May 4 Brave June 22 People Like Us (DreamWorks) June 29 The Odd Life of Timothy Green Aug. 15 Finding Nemo 3D Sept. 14 Frankenweenie Oct. 5 Wreck-It-Ralph Nov. 2 2013 Monsters, Inc. 3D Jan. 18 Oz, the Great and Powerful March 8 Iron Man 3 May 3 The Lone Ranger May 31 Monsters University June 21 Robopocalypse (DreamWorks) July 3 Phineas and Ferb July 26 The Little Mermaid 3D Sept. 13 Thor 2 Nov. 15 2014 Maleficent March 14 Captain America 2 April 4 Untitled Marvel actioner May 16 Untitled Pixar film May 30

PRESS RELEASE: Former Warner Bros. Entertainment Chief Alan Horn Takes Over At Disney

Alan Horn has been named as Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios,meaning the former Warner Bros. Entertainment boss will also oversee films made by Pixar and Marvel Studios. Read on to check out the press release in full. Josh Wilding - 5/31/2012

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, announced today that Alan Horn has been named Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios effective June 11. Horn will oversee worldwide operations for The Walt Disney Studios including production, distribution and marketing for live-action and animated films from Disney, Pixar and Marvel, as well as marketing and distribution for DreamWorks Studios films released under the Touchstone Pictures banner. Disney’s music and theatrical divisions will also report to Horn.

Horn has been a prominent figure in the film and television industry overseeing creative executive teams responsible for some of the world’s most successful entertainment properties including the Harry Potter film franchise and the hit television series Seinfeld among others.

"Alan not only has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience in the business, he has a true appreciation of movie making as both an art and a business," said Iger. "He’s earned the respect of the industry for driving tremendous, sustained creative and financial success, and is also known and admired for his impeccable taste and integrity. He brings all of this to his new role leading our studio group, and I truly look forward to working with him."

"I’m incredibly excited about joining The Walt Disney Company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world," said Horn. "I love the motion picture business and look forward to making a contribution as part of Bob Iger’s team working closely with the dedicated and talented group at the studio."

Horn was most recently President and COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment where he had oversight of the Studios’ theatrical and home entertainment operations, including the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Warner Premiere (direct-to-platform production), Warner Bros. Theatrical Ventures (live stage) and Warner Home Video. During his 12 year tenure, Warner Bros. Studios was the global box office leader seven times.

Among the numerous critically acclaimed films and box office hits released during his tenure are all eight films in the Harry Potter series, The Dark Knight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Happy Feet, Sherlock Holmes, The Departed, Batman Begins, Million Dollar Baby, the second and third Matrix films and the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy. Horn is also an executive producer of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Before joining Warner Bros., Horn co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He oversaw the creation of many critically acclaimed and beloved films including Best Picture Oscar nominees A Few Good Men, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile as well as When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, In the Line of Fire and the most successful show in television history, Seinfeld. Horn has also served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and was Chairman and CEO of Embassy Communications.

He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the American Film Institute and the Museum of Broadcasting. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute; as a Vice Chairman of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); is a co-founder of the Environmental Media Association (EMA); on the Board of Trustees for the Autry National Center in Los Angeles; and on the board of Harvard-Westlake School.

Horn received his MBA from Harvard Business School and served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Disney Taps Warner Bros. Vet Alan Horn as New Studio Chairman
by Adam Chitwood Posted:May 31st, 2012 at 3:27 pm



Following the ousting of Rich Ross as studio chairman, Disney has been on the hunt for a new exec to take his place. After weeks of speculation as to who would land the coveted gig (with Marvel’s Kevin Feige landing on a few lists), Disney announced today that Alan Horn will be the new Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. Horn was the president and COO of Warner Bros. and helped oversee the Harry Potter series Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Departed, and he’s listed as an executive producer on the upcoming The Hobbit. Hit the jump for more.

Before joining Warner Bros., Horn co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment. He was eventually “pushed out” of WB, with a NY Times profile (via /Film) citing the desire to make room for “a new generation of managers.” For those unaware, Horn’s position as Chairman puts him in charge of production, distribution and marketing for live-action and animated films from Disney, Pixar and Marvel. The Mouse House is a bona fide juggernaut, and the success of The Avengers puts the pressure on for future Marvel films to follow-up one of the most successful films of all time. The exec’s tenure at Warner Bros. boasts a promising resume that implies he’ll do well at Disney, so I’m quite happy with this choice. Read the full press release below.

BURBANK, Calif. – May 31, 2012 – Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, announced today that Alan Horn has been named Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios effective June 11. Horn will oversee worldwide operations for The Walt Disney Studios including production, distribution and marketing for live-action and animated films from Disney, Pixar and Marvel, as well as marketing and distribution for DreamWorks Studios films released under the Touchstone Pictures banner. Disney’s music and theatrical divisions will also report to Horn.

Horn has been a prominent figure in the film and television industry overseeing creative executive teams responsible for some of the world’s most successful entertainment properties including the Harry Potter film franchise and the hit television series Seinfeld among others.

“Alan not only has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience in the business, he has a true appreciation of movie making as both an art and a business,” said Iger. “He’s earned the respect of the industry for driving tremendous, sustained creative and financial success, and is also known and admired for his impeccable taste and integrity. He brings all of this to his new role leading our studio group, and I truly look forward to working with him.”

“I’m incredibly excited about joining The Walt Disney Company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world,” said Horn. “I love the motion picture business and look forward to making a contribution as part of Bob Iger’s team working closely with the dedicated and talented group at the studio.”

Horn was most recently President and COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment where he had oversight of the Studios’ theatrical and home entertainment operations, including the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Warner Premiere (direct-to-platform production), Warner Bros. Theatrical Ventures (live stage) and Warner Home Video. During his 12 year tenure, Warner Bros. Studios was the global box office leader seven times.

Among the numerous critically acclaimed films and box office hits released during his tenure are all eight films in the Harry Potter series, The Dark Knight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Happy Feet, Sherlock Holmes, The Departed, Batman Begins, Million Dollar Baby, the second and third Matrix films and the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy. Horn is also an executive producer of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Before joining Warner Bros., Horn co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He oversaw the creation of many critically acclaimed and beloved films including Best Picture Oscar nominees A Few Good Men, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile as well as When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, In the Line of Fire and the most successful show in television history, Seinfeld. Horn has also served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and was Chairman and CEO of Embassy Communications.

He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the American Film Institute and the Museum of Broadcasting. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute; as a Vice Chairman of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); is a co-founder of the Environmental Media Association (EMA); on the Board of Trustees for the Autry National Center in Los Angeles; and on the board of Harvard-Westlake School.

Horn received his MBA from Harvard Business School and served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Apologist Puncher wrote:Does this mean he will try and shoe-horn BJ Routh into a Marvel film???

thecolorsblend wrote:He's welcome to try. I can't picture Feige, Arad or any of the others going along with box office poison like His Routhy Blandness being in one of their movies. Being head of a movie studio doesn't mean you get to do whatever the fuck you want.

On the other hand, you could argue that throwing a BJ cameo in there might work in our favor. I mean, it would only serve to underscore how woefully miscast he ever was in Singerman. Picture this. The Bartender has a cameo as some SHIELD agent and he has to share a scene with Chris Hemsworth or Chris Evans.

How do YOU picture that playing out?

Sure, he'd probably stink up the screen for the minute or two he'd be in there but if the comparison would finally get the Apologists to shut the fuck up already...